Endless Possibilities
by an-alternate-world
Summary: A collection of Beddie/Thallen drabbles prompted via Tumblr.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Endless Possibilities  
><strong>Author: <strong>an-alternate-world  
><strong>Rating:<strong> T  
><strong>CharactersPairing: **Barry Allen, Eddie Thawne  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> 554  
><strong>Summary:<strong> A collection of Beddie/Thallen drabbles prompted via Tumblr.  
><strong>WarningsSpoilers:** None for this drabble.  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I am in no way associated with _The Flash_, The CW, DC Comics or anything else related to the universe.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Anonymous <strong>on Tumblr prompted a fic with the first sentence of: "Oh god, I'm so sorry! Are you alright?"  
><em>

* * *

><p>Barry's eyes followed the stranger's, down his coffee-stained shirt that might possibly have been ruined forever. Guilt bubbled in his stomach as he glanced around frantically, as if towels or napkins could possibly appear from thin air. It was all his fault. He'd been late and running to the crime scene and not watching where he was going or accounting for someone adjusting their own course of action and-<p>

"Well, I don't think it's going to make a good impression with my new boss, but it's not like I can rewind time and stay out of your way," the stranger said with a faint smile, his blue eyes twinkling, and Barry wondered if the temperature had increased a few degrees or if he'd just worn a sweater that was thicker than he needed. It had definitely gotten hotter though, right?

"I- Well, um… I'm really… I'm really sorry, you know?" he said, chancing a look at his watch and grimacing when he noticed the time. He was going to be in really, _really_ deep trouble.

"It's fine." The stranger gave him a little shooing wave. "Go. You're clearly late. And I need to purchase another coffee before I start my day."

Seized by the idea, Barry rifled through his pockets to find a crumpled five dollar bill that he thrust into the stranger's hand. "It's the least I can do," he explained before he took off, continuing at a slightly slower pace to avoid colliding with anyone else but also desperately needing to get to the crime scene_now_. Why hadn't someone invented teleportation yet?

Of course Captain Singh was impatiently tapping his shoe against the pavement, and of course Joe shot him a reprimanding look that only caused shame to thread around his guilt and begin creating a tapestry of emotions that spelled out 'failure' in the middle. One day he'd be on time. Maybe. Hopefully.

After he'd collected all the evidence for processing and declared the crime scene void of anything useful, he returned to his lab to start putting soil samples through the machine on one side of his lab and tracing footprints and fingerprints with the computer and testing liquids. He darted back and forth whenever something went 'Ping!', adding the data to his file.

"Barry!" Joe's voice boomed through the space and he jumped and knocked his head against the bench he'd been rooting around in for a chemical that might isolate particles from a crime scene. "I'd like you to meet my new partner."

"Joe, can you-"

"This is Detective Eddie Thawne," Joe announced and Barry sighed, peering out from the cupboard so he didn't appear rude. He was halfway to giving a half-hearted wave when his eyes caught the blue-eyed stranger from this morning, who looked ridiculously pleased with this development.

"H-Hi," Barry managed, crawling out from beneath the bench to shake - what was his name again? - the hand of the new detective. "I'm Barry. Barry Allen."

"Eddie," the detective repeated, the grip of his fingers firm around Barry's hand as his smile widened. "It's nice to finally meet you, Barry."

Barry smiled weakly, his cheeks warming under the piercing stare of the blue eyes in front of him. Surely the temperature in his lab wasn't broken too?

* * *

><p><em><strong>~FIN~<strong>_


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **Endless Possibilities  
><strong>Author: <strong>an-alternate-world  
><strong>Rating:<strong> T  
><strong>CharactersPairing: **Barry Allen, Eddie Thawne  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> 1020  
><strong>Summary:<strong> A collection of Beddie/Thallen drabbles prompted via Tumblr.  
><strong>WarningsSpoilers:** None for this drabble.  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I am in no way associated with The Flash, The CW, DC Comics or anything else related to the universe.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Anis<strong> (**anisstaranise**) on Tumblr prompted a fic beginning with: The bass vibrates in his chest as he dances by himself in the middle of the packed club- hoping, trying to seduce the tall, gorgeous man standing by the bar._

* * *

><p>He isn't sure that it's working though. It seems that the stranger, with his endless legs and popped collar, is someone embarrassed by the attention because he kept shyly ducking his head and then peeking up again, perhaps uncertain that yes, he <em>is <em>being eye-fucked between the throngs of bodies that press against him from all sides. It's sort of adorable really, watching the man's face get intermittently lit by the strobe lights which highlight the angles of his face and the hesitation in his expression.

He raises his hand, curling his index finger in an attempt to lure the man onto the dancefloor. The stranger's eyes widen, his head shaking.

"Don't dance," the man mouths and he rolls his eyes, fighting his way through the sea of people undulating around him until he's standing in front of the stranger. Perhaps they're a similar height, perhaps the other man is a fraction taller, but he's thinner, leaner, a frame that is so long he can only imagine the legs curling around him.

"You don't dance?" he yells above the music so loud it's deafening, a hand on his hip as he raises his eyebrows in distaste. They're at a _club_. You _have_ to dance at a club.

"No one wants to see that," the man calls back with a shrug, glancing back at the bar to check his drink. It's still there. What a surprise.

He winds his fingers around the stranger's wrists and tugs him - unwilling, resisting, at first - onto the edge of the dancefloor. Determination fills him as he grabs at his hips, guiding and steering him to the beat of the music, demanding his body move in ways that are apparently unnatural. It takes at least two songs before the man loosens up, his arms resting against Eddie's shoulders, his head lowering and his eyes nearly closing. A flash of light passes over them and he catches the long fan of eyelashes against his pale skin, the random blotches of freckles on his cheeks. He can only imagine spreading this body out beneath him, cataloguing every mark like it's a crime scene with the most beautiful blood spatter ever.

Somewhere after half an hour, when a thin sheen of sweat coats his brow and he can feel it trickling down the curve of his spine, the man kisses him. He's surprised at the considerably bold move given how shy the man had been when stared at across the club, but he's not bothered by it. He can tell the man is, at the very least, younger than him, his face free of stress lines and his movement lacking the confidence of a man comfortable in his skin.

It allows him the opportunity to take the lead, deepening the kiss until the other man's hands have fisted into his shirt, his breathing ragged against Eddie's mouth. He can tell the stranger is half-hard against his hip and he hides his smile by offering another kiss, one that's more chaste yet filled with a filthy promise that lingers on the man's tongue. He's not usually someone that hooks up with strangers but…he'll make an exception for this one.

They end up at his place. He's not sure how. He's not sure he minds. He maps out freckles with his hands, lips and tongue. He examines the groove of his abdomen and the jut of his hipbones and the bend of his long legs. He watches the scrunch of the stranger's forehead in the seconds before he comes, soaking in his choked whine and huffed half-breaths as the high wears away.

They fall asleep in a tangle of limbs and he's not surprised when the stranger is gone when he wakes to the morning light creeping across his eyeballs. The man had seemed tentative about returning with him, not quite ashamed - not like he was still barricaded in a closet - but not quite certain of himself either. Shyness usually isn't a turn-on but for whatever reason, it had been this time.

He showers and dresses, knotting his blue tie carefully around his throat to ensure he looks well-presented. It's important to dress properly on his first day as a detective in a new precinct. First impressions were _everything_ and he knows blue brings out his eyes, knows it's a colour which compliments his skin and his hair.

He slings a jacket over his shoulder and begins the walk to the precinct only a few blocks away. He'd been ridiculously proud of the apartment when he'd found it because of its proximity to work. He could easily duck home for a change of clothes during a long shift or rush in without much hassle if a major case came through. It's perfect. It's-

He freezes when he sees the stranger from the night before chatting to a detective. Is he making a report about his drink being spiked? Or being raped? Or-

"Detective Thawne!" A voice shakes him out of his panic and he turns wide eyes to a man with his hand outstretched. "Captain Singh. Let me introduce you to your partner."

He shakes the Captain's hand with the strongest smile he can muster, following him to- to- to where the stranger is sitting with the other man. If his new partner is the stranger then he'll-

"Joe, this is your new partner, Eddie."

Eddie tries to feel grateful that his new partner _isn't_ the stranger from the night before. It's almost a relief to offer his almost-limp hand to Joe, but mostly he's entirely fixated on staring at the man from last night. The stare he's receiving in return does little to reduce his concerns.

"Well, howdy partner," Joe says, shaking his hand before clapping it on the shoulder of the man from the night before. "This is our CSI, Barry Allen. He's also… Well, I guess you'd call him my step-son."

Oh _shit_.

* * *

><p><em><strong>~FIN~<strong>_


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: **Endless Possibilities  
><strong>Author: <strong>an-alternate-world  
><strong>Rating:<strong> T  
><strong>CharactersPairing: **Barry Allen, Eddie Thawne  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> 296  
><strong>Summary:<strong> A collection of Beddie/Thallen drabbles prompted via Tumblr.  
><strong>WarningsSpoilers:** None for this drabble.  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I am in no way associated with _The Flash_, The CW, DC Comics or anything else related to the universe.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Dee <strong>(**ttinycourageous**) on Tumblr prompted a Valentine's fic with: "That's the least romantic thing anyone has ever said to me…"_

* * *

><p>Barry pouts and lightly punches Eddie in the arm. "You know how difficult it is for me to…to…" He growls when he feels his cheeks warm and presses his face into Eddie's bare chest. Below him, Eddie chuckles and circles his arms around Barry's body.<p>

"Watching you squirm is my kicks for the day," Eddie says, one set of fingers playing with Barry's hair, the other set tiptoeing down his spine.

"I'll give you another set of kicks," Barry mutters, poking Eddie in the side. "A kick up the ass."

"It might feel good actually. Should I moan? Beg for more?" Eddie wriggles his hips beneath Barry, his voice higher pitched and breathy. "_Oh… Oh Barry. Oh God… I need more. I need you to_-"

"You _need _to shut up," Barry interrupts, quickly covering Eddie's mouth with his hand and twitching when Eddie licks at his palm like a child. It tickles more than he's willing to admit and he can feel it shivering down his spine. "I don't even know why I like you sometimes."

Eddie's eyes glitter with mirth and Barry eventually concedes defeat and removes his hand. "You like me because I help you slow down after a busy day and because I can cook something other than microwave meals and takeout and because you like being able to check out my ass when I'm leaving your lab and not feel guilty about it anymore."

Barry pouts again. "That's probably one of the most romantic things anyone has ever said to me."

Eddie shrugs, his hands grasping at Barry's waist to draw him forward for a kiss. "You'll learn how to get better at it," Eddie teases as his lips meet Barry's.

* * *

><p><strong><em>~FIN~<em>**


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: **Endless Possibilities  
><strong>Author: <strong>an-alternate-world  
><strong>Rating:<strong> T  
><strong>CharactersPairing: **Barry Allen, Eddie Thawne  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> 496  
><strong>Summary:<strong> A collection of Beddie/Thallen drabbles prompted via Tumblr.  
><strong>WarningsSpoilers:** None for this drabble.  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I am in no way associated with _The Flash_, The CW, DC Comics or anything else related to the universe.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Anonymous<strong> on Tumblr prompted a fic which included the sentence: "Please don't do this."_

* * *

><p>He raises his arms to his sides, backing up slowly, inching away to put some space between them. "Please don't do this," he says, his eyes not straying from the sparkling blue rimmed with red. It's difficult when his brain is screaming at him, pointing out the gun in Eddie's hands, but for now, he's fixed on Eddie's eyes. They're wild, they're crazed, they're upset - he's never seen Eddie like this before.<p>

Eddie waves the gun haphazardly, another tear spilling down his cheek. "Iris never loved me! It's all just- Everything's been a lie and I-" His finger curves too close to the trigger and Barry tries to work out how he can get out of this situation without one, or both, of them getting hurt. If he can't get Eddie to put the gun down on his own volition, he'll be forced to speed out of the way and grasp the gun which will reveal the secret he's been hiding for months.

"Eddie…" His voice lowers towards a plea, his hands raising higher. He's unarmed, he's not dangerous,_please don't hurt me_. "We can talk about this, we can-"

"Why?" Eddie yells and Barry starts to think that maybe he's just causing more problems than he's solving. "Why? So you can be smug that she loves you? So you can kiss her? So you can-"

"_Eddie_," he says, counting as slowly as possible to three because, secret or not, he's afraid for his life and can't see a way out of this other than disarming someone he considers a friend at superspeed. "Put the gun down."

"You don't unders- I can't get y-"

Eddie's finger slips to the trigger, his words choked out of him as he stares at Barry in fear, in horror, in pain. Barry watches, calculating, the world narrowing down to fractions of a second when he watches the twitch of Eddie's finger on the gun.

He's moving before the hammer has even fallen, the gun peeled from Eddie's grasp milliseconds after the bullet has left the chamber. He pops the magazine and the spare bullet in the chamber into his hand, races out of the apartment to throw the gun parts into the river, and back again moments before the bullet lodges into the apartment wall he'd been standing in front of when Eddie had pulled the trigger.

Eddie is breathing heavily, his hands still raised, when he realises the gun is gone, the bullet has created a hole in the wall, and Barry is across the room with smoking shoes. He stares, his eyes almost comically wide, as Barry stands in front of him with an odd mixture of confidence and uncertainty.

"You- You're-"

"Yes," he confirms, gazing at Eddie with careful scrutiny, "and you're lucky I am otherwise you'd be charged with first degree murder right now."

Eddie blinks, faster and faster, until he releases a soft breath of air and collapses towards the ground in a dead faint.

* * *

><p><em><strong>~FIN~<strong>_


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: **Endless Possibilities  
><strong>Author: <strong>an-alternate-world  
><strong>Rating:<strong> T  
><strong>CharactersPairing: **Barry Allen, Eddie Thawne  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> 427  
><strong>Summary:<strong> A collection of Beddie/Thallen drabbles prompted via Tumblr.  
><strong>WarningsSpoilers:** None for this drabble.  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I am in no way associated with _The Flash_, The CW, DC Comics or anything else related to the universe.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Anonymous<strong> on Tumblr prompted a fic which included the sentence: "You need to wake up because I can't do this without you."_

* * *

><p>He feels uncomfortable entering the room, like he's not meant to be there, like he doesn't belong. Maybe that's because he's <em>not<em> meant to be there. Maybe that's because he'd rushed in at four in the morning, dressed in the suit, riddled with guilt as he'd taken in the man laying on the bed. Even though Eddie was sedated, his breathing wasn't exactly even - a side effect of being shot, he supposed.

He stepped closer, his eyes tracing down Eddie's face, searching for any sign of discomfort in the other man who he'd failed so badly. His fingers circle around Eddie's, smooth skin meeting warm leather, and he brushes his thumb against the knuckles of the unresponsive hand.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, lowering his head as he struggles for breath through the waves of disappointment and guilt. He hadn't been there to save Eddie, to protect him from the Clock King, because his head had been messed with and he didn't believe he could run fast anymore. Which had felt like a ridiculous assertion until he'd seen Wells in danger.

He grips Eddie's hand tighter, a tear rolling down the mask of his suit and leaving a shiny trail behind on the leather. It's absurd to feel so broken about this when their interactions have mostly consisted of lingering looks, shy smiles, body contact that wasn't necessary but also wasn't unwelcome. They're nothing more than colleagues but Eddie's warmth had burrowed under his skin - except now Barry just felt cold with fear that someone else was going to die because of him.

"You need to wake up," he says, raising his other hand to brush some of the loose strands of blond hair from Eddie's face, tracing the shadows of his face in the light spilling in from the window and the corridor, "because I can't do this without you. I can't- You need to wake up."

Another tear slid down his cheek before he heard a noise in the corridor, something like footsteps. Worried that it was a nurse and he was about to get caught, he took one last look at Eddie and let go, dashing from the room and out of the hospital with a few yelps from night-nurses who found patient charts flurrying towards the ceiling and ruffled hair.

His grief, his anxiety, wouldn't let him sleep that night. Instead, Barry ran and ran and ran, as if saving people from overturned cars and scorching house fires and tying petty criminals to lampposts could atone for the failures he'd already made.

* * *

><p><em><strong>~FIN~<strong>_


	6. Chapter 6

**Title: **Endless Possibilities  
><strong>Author: <strong>an-alternate-world  
><strong>Rating:<strong> T  
><strong>CharactersPairing: **Barry Allen, Eddie Thawne  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> 486  
><strong>Summary:<strong> A collection of Beddie/Thallen drabbles prompted via Tumblr.  
><strong>WarningsSpoilers:** None for this drabble.  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I am in no way associated with _The Flash_, The CW, DC Comics or anything else related to the universe.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Anis<strong> (**anisstaranise**) on Tumblr prompted a fic which included the sentence: "Tell me a secret."_

* * *

><p>"Tell me a secret."<p>

Barry froze, eyes fixed on the particles of dirt trapped beneath the glass disc on the slide. The microscope blurred out of focus as he pulled away from it to look at Eddie in the doorway of the lab.

"Iris will never admit it but she prefers blueberry pancakes to chocolate chip," he said blankly, apparently the first thing that popped into his head when the most obvious secret he knew got tangled in his throat.

The blond detective's eyebrows rise, his blue eyes glittering with amusement. "I'll be sure to remember that if I ever have a reason to make my partner's daughter pancakes," Eddie said, sliding the lab door shut and meandering towards the row of chemicals that Barry had been thrown into on the night of the particle accelerator explosion. Even though there was no brewing storm, no chance of a lightning bolt slamming through the glass ceiling, Barry felt a burst of urgency to grab Eddie out of the way and keep him safe. "Tell me another secret."

"Doctor Snow _really_ can't handle her alcohol," he blurted out, wincing because Caitlin would probably refuse to patch him up next time he injured himself if she found out he'd just told Eddie that.

Eddie chuckled from behind the chemicals and stepped away from the shelves, towards one of the computers that analysed samples from human sources like blood or urine or hair. Barry watched the man run his fingers along the silver metal of the bench and tried not to shiver when he wondered what such a touch would feel like going down his chest.

"I feel like there's so many things I don't know about you, Bar," Eddie said, glancing at him while moving away from the bench towards the window. "You're my partner's stepson but you're practically a mystery."

Barry swallowed, knowing there was no way he could tell Eddie the secrets that resided within him - like the man in yellow that killed his mom who he'd chased through Central City; like the red suit he donned every day in an attempt to stop people from dying; like the metahumans he'd forced into chambers under S.T.A.R. Labs before they committed mass murder; like the attraction he felt to the detective that was his stepfather's partner and who he could never, _ever_ pursue.

"I'm really just not all that interesting," he said with a shrug, trying to play it cool and returning to peering through his microscope at the particles of soil.

Eddie hummed quietly beneath his breath and Barry listened to the scuff of his shoes across the linoleum as he approached the door to the lab. "Something tells me that's not the truth," the detective murmured before he slid the door open with a screech and left.

Barry wasn't sure why it felt as though he still couldn't catch his breath after Eddie had gone.

* * *

><p><em><strong>~FIN~<strong>_


	7. Chapter 7

**Title: **Endless Possibilities  
><strong>Author: <strong>an-alternate-world  
><strong>Rating:<strong> T  
><strong>CharactersPairing: **Barry Allen, Eddie Thawne  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> 504  
><strong>Summary:<strong> A collection of Beddie/Thallen drabbles prompted via Tumblr.  
><strong>WarningsSpoilers:** None for this drabble.  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I am in no way associated with _The Flash_, The CW, DC Comics or anything else related to the universe.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Anonymous <strong>on Tumblr prompted a fic which included the sentence: "Is there a reason you're naked in my bed?"_

* * *

><p>"Is there a reason you're naked in my bed?"<p>

Eddie watched Barry's Adam's apple bob as he wound his fingers between the sheet pulled to his waist. It was adorable, really, how Barry seemed to take one step forward and three steps back when it came to intimacy. The grooves of his abdomen were on display, urging Eddie to move closer and touch, but Barry was awash with shyness that made him want to wrap a blanket around the younger male and feed him hot cocoa.

"Well, as you know, I moved in with Joe again," Barry said, his eyes drifting from meeting Eddie's gaze to where his fingers fidgeted with the fabric, hitching it higher on his stomach and concealing a line of muscles that Eddie wanted to explore with his tongue.

"I had _no_ idea," he teased, taking half a step into the room and tugging his shirt free from his pants. He tried not to smile too wide when he saw twin spots of pink rise into Barry's cheeks. "So you returned home which leads you to…here? In a particular state of complete undress? In _my _bed?"

Barry shrugged, no longer able to meet Eddie's stare. "I… I haven't left any clothes here that I could…change into…"

A bark of laughter fell from his lips before he could stop himself, his fingers undoing the buttons of his shirt and exposing his skin. He shrugged it off, the fabric pooling at his feet, and apparently the lack of pale blue on his chest drew Barry's eyes upwards to take in his torso. The pink in his cheeks was rapidly turning red, the green of his eyes thinning as his pupils dilated.

"Would you like a drawer for the future?" he asked, sliding his belt through the buckle and noting the way Barry's eyes fixed on his hands, teeth sunken into his lower lip, a shiver dancing across the skin of Barry's shoulders.

"That…um… That doesn't…_have_ to be necessary…" Barry mumbled, struggling for coherency when Eddie unbuttoned his slacks, dragged the zipper of his fly down with his thumb and index finger, and stepped forwards to expose his thighs, his knees, his calves. He considered removing his briefs but ultimately left them on because he knew it would drive Barry crazy.

"Well, in that case…"

Eddie climbed onto the bed, crawling up the mattress until he was hovering above Barry's trembling body. He tugged the sheet from Barry's grasp, exposing the long, lean lines of his muscles, the splattering of freckles across his skin, the flush that spread from Barry's neck to his chest, the arousal that lay exposed between his legs.

"In that case, maybe I just have to get used to you being naked in my bed more often," Eddie whispered against Barry's lips as the younger male stuttered for breath, hips squirming, beneath him. He pressed a chaste kiss to Barry's mouth to steal some of the nerves from his body. "I think I can get used to it though."

* * *

><p><em><strong>~FIN~<strong>_


	8. Chapter 8

**Title: **Endless Possibilities  
><strong>Author: <strong>an-alternate-world  
><strong>Rating:<strong> T  
><strong>CharactersPairing: **Barry Allen, Eddie Thawne  
><strong>Word Count:<strong> 1,191  
><strong>Summary:<strong> A collection of Beddie/Thallen drabbles prompted via Tumblr.  
><strong>WarningsSpoilers:** None for this drabble.  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I am in no way associated with _The Flash_, The CW, DC Comics or anything else related to the universe.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Anonymous <strong>on Tumblr prompted a fic which included the sentence: "Wait a minute. Are you jealous?"_

* * *

><p>Barry's half-listening to a conversation between Singh and Joe when he notices him.<p>

He's tall, broad shouldered, head raised with authority, face impassive, and confidence practically rolls off him in palpable waves. Even from inside Singh's office, Barry can feel his discomfort rising and he starts cataloguing the male's spiky dark brunette hair, his dark eyes and the way they scan back and forth as if looking for someone. He doesn't fit in, he's not a criminal, he hasn't been escorted here, and yet he seems to know exactly where to go and what he's looking for and-

He frowns, watching Eddie jog into the office, a tight smile on his face as he raises himself to the other male's cheek to plant a kiss. Barry feels his stomach twist as he sees Eddie toss a file onto his desk and escort the other male out of the bullpen, away from his line of sight. He's pretty sure it was done deliberately because Eddie knew his partner - his partner _Joe_, at least - was in a meeting with Singh.

He doesn't get a chance to confront Eddie about it once the meeting with Singh ends because Caitlin calls with some information on the latest metahuman she and Cisco have been tracking and he has to race off - literally. He doesn't see Eddie when he leaves though and the brief encounter he'd witnessed gnaws at him while he races through the streets, searching for a maniac who could so easily have used his new abilities for good. He didn't understand why so many people with metahuman abilities turned bad.

He wondered if he'd ever understand what turned a person into a villain simply because they had the powers to change the world. Being a hero was far more rewarding.

By the time he shuffles into Eddie's apartment, his muscles are loose and his eyes are drooping but the moment he sees Eddie, he snaps back to attention. The customary kiss on the cheek is replaced by a cup of coffee for one and an awkward silence permeating the room. He eyes Eddie warily as he lowers his satchel to the ground by the kitchen table, shrugging off his jacket.

"Eddie?"

Eddie's blue eyes meet his and he can see the troubled feelings swirling within their depths. He's torn between stepping closer to protect and defend and heal - a largely instinctual reaction now - and staying rooted to the spot until he gets some answers.

"I- My…ex is in town," Eddie says, rubbing his hands against the faint five-o'clock shadow on his cheeks. Barry feels an insidious coldness coil in his stomach, a sensation that leaves him feeling nauseous.

"The guy that you led away from the bullpen today?" Barry says, his fingers looping around the back of the chair, unwilling to sit down but unsure he was able to stay standing on his own.

"Yes," Eddie says, quiet and simple, lacking any pretense.

Barry remembers the way Eddie had rushed to meet him, had kissed his cheek, had placed a hand upon the other man's back. He twitches, his eyes drifting away from Eddie to stare at the wall. It takes a few seconds before Eddie realises he's too still, too silent, too busy counting to ten in endless loops in his head..

"Barry… What's wrong?"

He shakes his head, unable to explain how he felt. He's hungry, he's exhausted, and he doesn't want to have to deal with this on top of risking his life to stop the metahuman who was capable of hurling icicles with dangerously sharp points that could have penetrated his suit.

He turns towards the kitchen, approaching the fridge and searching for anything that might stave off an early dash to anywhere with large quantities of easily consumable food. He's disappointed by its relative emptiness and has a feeling he'll need to go out because there's no way he could sleep when he's already feeling hungry. He'll end up unconscious or something from not enough food.

"Bar?" Hands press to his waist and he stiffens, allowing Eddie to slide arms around his body, his cheek pressing into Barry's back, fingers splaying against his back. "You need to talk to me."

He shakes his head, closing the fridge and staring at the scattered photos of the two of them on the door, the bills to pay and the reminders of events. It's a sign of their life, _together_, but now there's an ex in town and Barry's not very good dealing with past relationships.

"Are you going to get back together with him?" Barry asks and Eddie's arms cinch a little tighter around his waist.

"Not when I'm with you now," Eddie says, sounding so calm and certain that Barry struggles to relax his inner turmoil. "Why?"

Barry shrugs, his eyes tracing over the photos of them from police events or Joe's sixtieth to a couple of row of snaps in a photo booth where they're pulling ridiculous faces. He'd never thought much about what Eddie's ex - _exes_ - might look like, that Eddie might have gotten photos just like these with someone else, that Eddie _had_ kissed and touched and slept with other people. His stomach churns even though he wants to be reassured that Eddie's with him.

"Wait a minute." Eddie freezes before he draws away, his fingers tight against Barry's waist. "Are you_jealous_?"

"_No_," he says almost immediately, although maybe he is. Maybe a little bit. Eddie had looked so pleased to see him at the station. Sometimes they fight, sometimes they don't want to look at each other for a few days. Maybe Eddie had been really happy with this other guy and with Barry he's just-

"_Babe,_" Eddie huffs, dragging him backwards and in an impressive twisting move, ends up in front of Barry while his back is against once of the kitchen cupboards.

He has no where to look but into narrowed blue eyes that search for an answer. He honestly doesn't know how he feels but he'd know _jealousy_. He'd felt that enough when he was growing up. Surely he's not-

Eddie leans in to kiss him, slow - tentative - at first, until some of Barry's defences start to crumble and his fingers span Eddie's cheek. It encourages the other male, spurs him on, draws him closer, increases the use of their teeth and tongues, and it's only when Eddie shifts his hips to press him against the cupboard that he realises he's half-hard in his pants and lost all coherency.

"I'm with you," Eddie whispers against his lips, his fingers tugging Barry's shirt free of his pants. "Not him, Bar. _You_."

He nods, holding Eddie against him, drowning in his kisses, as the other male peels clothes from their bodies on the clumsy journey from kitchen to bedroom. He aches by the time he tumbles into bed with Eddie's body hovering above him, touching whatever piece of skin he can as he reassures himself that Eddie's not going anywhere or being with anyone else.

He refuses to admit he _might_ be a _little _bit jealous.

* * *

><p><em><strong>~FIN~<strong>_


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